Machine for manufacturing spirally wound straws or tubes



J. BALTON 1,911,298

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SPIRALLY WOUND STRAWS OR TUBES May 30, 1933.

Filed July 29. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l gvwc/wbo'f/ 12265 564 010.

May 30, 1933. J BALTON 1,911,298

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SPIRALLY WOUND STRAWS OR TUBES Filed July 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y 'fji fi'. 86 161 1 1 Jameslzazfm.

Gum/mm;

Patented May 30, 1933 UN Iii [E a JAMES BAL 'ION, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNO'R TO JOSEPH SHAliRO; F

BALTIMORE,

MARYLAND MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SPIRAL'LY WOUND s'raaws on TUBES Applicatien fil e'd July 29,-

My present invention which relates principally to machines for making spirally wound straws from paper strips has for an object to improve the machines of the type described in my application Serial No. 618,-

759, filed June 22, 1932. Machines such as those to which my invention relates contain several necessary parts, namely a support, an endless spinning belt taken overa'pair' of spaced pulleys, one flight'of the belt being wound around a mandrel on whichthe paper is spun by the belt into the form of a tube or straw; such machines furtherinelude a mechanism for applying glue to one 'or'more of the strips of paperbeforethestrips-are Wound on the mandrel, and a cutting mechanism for severing the continuous straw or tube into predetermined lengths as it leaves the mandrel; there is also provided a means for tensioningthe belt so that it will function properly during the spinning act.

The tensioning means heretofore generaL ly employed inmachines' of this kind comprises the slid'able mounting of one or both pulley carrying heads and the provision of a manually operated screw device formoving the heads toward and from one another.

It is to'the belt tensioning mechanism of 'the machine to which my present invention is particularly directed. Experience has shown that unless exactly the right tension is applied to the belt during thespinning operation, the tube will be longer orshorter for a given length of paper' strip,accordingly as the tension is loosened or tightened beyond the normal. Furthermore, unless the proper tens-ion at least is applied, the glued surfaces do not adhere properly and conse- 40 quently the tube when itcomes from the mandre'l h as weak'places; thus the'tensile strength of the finishedtube is" not 'uniform throughout and the weakened places leave possible air-passes through the wall of the tube and thereby renderthat section of it useless as a a drinking i'straiw.

Experience; has also demonstrated; that it is practically impossible for the attendant to keep the-belt at exactly the right-tension -at all times. Therefore it is necessaryto em- 1932. Serial no. 626,104.

ploy skilled operators in order to reduce the 1 percentage of error as much aspossible in view of thehuman equation. 7

My inve'i ition'hasfor its principal object to provide a mechanism that is fully automatic'ior maintaining the spinning "belt'at all times under a predetermined tension witlrout the necessity of the operators at tention' or intervention, thereby overcoming the deficiencies whijchare inherentinthose" 0* machines which require manual adjustment of the belt tensionand, in consequence of I my invention, there is provided 'a=machine' which will not only turn out a superior p-roductqbnt one on which unskilled labor 05 maybe employed to advantage;

'Again, in those machines heretofore known, which depend on the skill of the operator to maintain the belt adjustment, the life oi abelt is variable. Thelife ofthe 7d. belt depends in large measureuponthe skill of the operator, for if the operator tightensthebelt too much it will'soon vvear ou-t or break. Therefore it is afurtherobjectof my invention to provide means materially to increase the life of the belt and thereby reduce maintenance charges with consequent reduction in the cost of manufacture of the straws'or tubes."

Other objects of my invention will in part so be obvious and in part be pointed 'out here ina'fter, i

To the attainment of theafo-res'aid objects and ends, the invention still further resides" in the "novel details of construction, conabination' and arrangement "of parts, all "oflwhich" will be first fully described in theiollowing detailed description, then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying draw 00 ings, in which I 1 Figure 1 is a plan view of a strawmachiine showing my invention in one ofits embodi ments. 7

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2'2 of Figure 1. a r V Y Figure 3 is a'section' on the line'"33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is 'afisection on' thelinev4f4 of Figure 3. 1

bearing 173 mounted on the bed 1.

Figure 5 is a planv view, largely diagrammatic, illustrating another embodiment of the invention. i

Figure 6 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Flgure 6.

In the drawings in which like numerals of reference designate like parts in all the figures, 1 is the bed of the machine which is supported on legs 2, and which supports the cross head 13 which carries the spinning mechanism. The spinning mechanism includes cross head slides 18 and 25 on which are respectively mounted pulleys 22 and 24, the latter pulley being driven from a vertical shaftll through suitable power transmitting mechanism including beveled gears 12 and shaft 82. The cross head 13 has ends 14 and 15 provided with guides 16 and 17 respectively on which the cross head slides 18.

'162,the former beingsecured by cap screws 158 or in any other suitable way to the cross head slide 25, while the bar 162 is similarly secured at 163 to a bracket 160 that is in turn secured by suitable devices such as cap screws 161 to the cross head slide 18.

Each bar 157 and 162 carries a rack segment 159-164 respectively. These rack segments are guided in a suitable support 165 secured at 166 to the cross head 13 and pro- 'vided with suitable guide ways 167 for the bars162and 157. Mounted in suitable bearings 168 in the support 165 is a shaft section 169 that carries a pinion 170, the latter meshingxwith the rack segments 159-164 whereby upon rotation of the shaft 169 the cross heads 18 and 25 are moved toward or from one another accordingly as the shaft is turned in one direction or the reverse. 171 is another shaftsection journalled in a suitable The shaft 171 is provided with a socket portion 172 into which the end of the shaft'section 169 projectsand is pinned as best indicated in Figure 3. i l V V I iSecured to the shaft section 171; is a sprocket 174 around which is passed a chain 177, the chain passing through openings 7 6 in the bed 1 asbest shown in Figure 4. On'

one end. of the chain is placeda suitable weight or other constant force applying instrumentality, while the other end of the chain is provided with a safety stop bar 178 to prevent the chain being pulled ofi the sprocket and also serving as a stop to prevent the cross heads from separating too far should the belt break.

175 is a handle in the form of a star wheel which is secured on the outer end of the shaft section 171 whereby that shaft section may be turned for a purpose presently explained. 7

If desired, instead of connecting the sprocket carrying shaft section directly to the pinion carrying shaft section, a worm. and worm gear may be interposed so as to constitute a look as it were to prevent any possible vibration of the machine causing a displacement of the cros's'head slides. This latter embodiment of my invention is best illustrated in Figures 5, 6' and 7 by reference to which it will be seen that the shaft section 169 is provided with a worm Wheel 183 that meshes with a worm 182 on a shaft 181 which carries the sprocket 184 and the hand wheel 185. In this embodiment of the invention there is also provided a suitable support 180 for the portion of the shaft 169 which carries the Worm wheel 183 and for the portion of the shaft 181 that carries the worm 182. In this construction the chain is indicated by 186 and the weight by 187. So far as described the manner in which my invention operates is asfollows:

Assume that the belt has been placed around the pulleys and one of the flights of the belt wound around the mandrel, as is customary. The weight 179 is so arranged as to exert a constant pressure tending to 7 separate the cross head slides 18 and 25, thereby applying a constant and definite tension to the belt 42. As the belt stretches in use the stretch will be taken up by the movement of the rack and pinion mechanism under the acting force of the Weight. After a belt has been used to a point where it will break, the weight 179 will'naturally separate the cross heads to their maximum distance, However, by turning the handle 175 the cross heads may be brought together so as to enable va new belt to be placed around the pulleys and mandrel, after which the operat l t 00 of the handle 175' and the ma i chine is zIgain ready for operation.

While I have described two embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that numerous other modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention 'mandrel, in combination with a means to maintain a constant tension on the belt for the purposes described.

2. In a machine of the character described, a support on which is mounteda mandrel, a horizontally disposed pair of belt pulleys and a belt passed around the pulleys and mandrel and slidable supports for the pulleys, in combination with means continuously acting to separate said pulley supports and pulleys for the purposes described.

3. In a machine of the character described, a support on which is mounted a mandrel, a horizontally disposed pair of belt pulleys and a belt passed around the pulleys and mandrel, in combination with means continuously acting to separate said pulleys for the purposes specified.

l. In a spirally Wound tube making machine, a mandrel, a horizontally disposed endless spinning belt wound around the mandrel, a horizontally disposed pair of belt pulleys, and means to apply tension constantly to said belt ror the purposes stated.

5. In a spirally wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless s inning belt wound around the mandrel, a pair of belt pulleys, and means to apply tension corstantly to said belt for the purposes stated, said means comprising slidable supports for the pulleys and continuously acting mechanism for applying a separating force between said slidable supports.

6. In a spirally wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless spinning belt wound around the mandrel, a pair of belt pulleys, and means to apply tension constantly to said belt for the purposes stated, said means comprising a connection between said slidable supports having provisions to effect movement of the supports toward and from one another and means continuously acting on said connection for applying a separating force between the pulley supports.

7 In a spirally wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless spinning belt wound around the mandrel, a pair of belt pulleys, slidable supports for the pulleys and means to apply tension constantly to said belt for the purposes stated, said means comprising rack bars carried by the supports, a shaft with a pinion connecting said bars and in virtue of which the rotation of said shaft will cause movement of said rack bars in one direction or the reverse accordingly as said pinion shaft is rotated in one direction or the reverse, and means continuously acting on saidshaft to turn it in a direction to effect a separation of said pulleys for the purposes described.

8. In a spirally wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless spinning belt wound around the mandrel, apair of belt pulleys, slidable supports for the pulleys and means to apply tension constantly to said belt'for the purposes stated, saidme-ans comprising-"rack bars carried by the sup ports, a shaft with a pinion connecting-said bars and in virtue of which the rotation of said shaft will cause movement of said rack bars in one direction or the reverse accordingly as said pinion shaft is rotated in one direction or the reverse, and means continuously acting on said shaft to turn it in a direction to effect a separation of said pulleys and thereby maintain a constanttension on said belt, and manually actuated means to turn said shaft in the reverse direction.

9. In a spirally wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless-spinning belt" wound around the mandrel, a pair of belt pulleys, slidable supports for the pulleys and means to apply tension constantly to said belt ior the'p'urposes stated, said means comprising rack bars carried by the supports, a shaft with a pinion connecting said bars and invirtue of which the rotation'of said shaft Wlll cause movement of said rack bars in one direction or the reverse accordingly as said pinion shaft is rotated in one I direction or the reverse, and means continuously acting on said shaft to turn itin a direction to effect a separation of said pulleys for the purposes described, said acting means comprising a sprocket and chain with an actuating. weight on the chain.

10. In a spirally wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless spinning belt wound around'the mandrel, a pair ofbelt pulleys, slidable supports for the pulleys" continuously acting on said shaft to turn itin adirection to effect a separatioirof said pulleys for the purposes described, said acting means comprising a sprocket and chain with an actuating weight on the chain anda hand wheelon said shaft for turning it against the action of said weight. p

11. In a spirally wound tube making ma. chine, a mandrel, an endless spinning belt wound around the mandrel, a pair of belt pulleys, slidable supports for the pulleys and means to apply tension constantly to said belt for the purposes stated, said means comprising rack bars carried by the supports, a shaft with a pinion connecting said bars and in virtue of which the rotation of said shaft will cause movement of said rack bars in one direction or the reverse accordingly as said pinion shaft is rotated in one direction or the reverse, and means continuously acting on saidshaft to turn it in a direction to effect a separation of said pulleys for the purposes described, said acting means comprising a Worm gear on said shaft, a. Worm shaft With a Worm meshing Withsaid Worm gear and means continuously tending to turn said Worm shaft in one direction.

12. In a spirally Wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless spinning belt Wound around the mandrel, a pair of belt pulleys, slidable supports for the pulleys and means to apply tension constantly to said belt for the purposes stated, said means comprising rack bars carried by the supports, a shaft With a pinion connecting said bars and in Virtue of which the rotation of said shaft Will cause movement of said rack bars in one direction or the reverse accordingly as said pinion shaft is rotated in one direction or the. reverse, and means continuously acting on said shaft to turn it in a direction to effect a separation of said pulleys for the purposes described, said acting means com risin a Worm car on said shaft a worm shaft With a Worm meshing With said Worm gear and means continuously tending to turn said Worm shaft in one direction, and including a constant predetermined force.

13. In a spirally Wound tube making machine, a mandrel, an endless spinning belt Wound around the mandrel, a pair of belt pulleys, slidable supports for the pulleys and means to apply tension constantly to said belt for the purposes stated, said means comprising rack bars carried by the supports, a shaft With a pinion connecting said bars and in virtue of which the rotation of said shaft Will cause movement of said rack bars in one direction or the reverse accordingly as'said pinion shaft is rotated in one direction or the reverse, and means continuously acting 'on said shaft to turn it in a direction to effect a. separation of said pulleys for the purposes described, said acting means comprising a Worm gear on said shaft, a Worm shaft With a Worm meshing With saidworm gear and means continuously tending to turn said Worm shaft in one direction and including a constant predetermined force, and other means to turn said Worm shaft in the. reverse direction for the purposes described.

JAMES BALTON. 

